Category Harry Potter Book Reviews

After not adding these reviews when I first created the site, the resurgence of interest in the Harry Potter books, and the new movies, has brought the conversation back to the forefront among Christians. I wrote reviews of the first four Harry Potter books when they were first published; they are perhaps more relevant now that parents – Christian parents – are taking their children to see the Potter movies. Since visual imagery has a deeper effect on the mental and emotional function, the influence of the movies may be deeper influences on children and youth than the books, since books rely on the imagination of the reader to imprint the concepts, whereas movies imprint them directly from the writer and director’s own ideals. Harry Potter books and movies are not suitable as entertainment for those who claim to love Christ, Who declared the occult to be abomination, and for which evil He died.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

At 317 pages, the third book in the Potter series is twice the length of the first two. While the first book started very slowly, and was a rather tedious read, this book has a very well-developed plot. There are the usual inclusions of charms, magic words, etc., but to a much lesser degree, numerically and proportionally, than either of the first two books.

I find it curious, but the body of the story notably lacks much reference to the basic witchy stuff found copiously in the first books. Moreover, after early introduction of nasty concepts, there is very little of this beyond sightings of the Dementors and events with the Divination teacher, until the last 1/5 of the book...

This second book is significantly more sinister than the first one, introducing within the plot the demonic possession of an unwitting and unwilling little girl, for the purpose of destroying both Harry and any wizards at Hogwarts who have “Muggle” ancestry.

The plot is much better developed than the first book, while continuing to offer potions, spells and magic words for readers to “try out” if they are so inclined.

Harry Potter is a wizard. He is a smart aleck who lies, hates, disobeys those in authority, plans vengeance,

His friends steal, are malicious etc. Those who follow the rules, represented by Hermione, are ridiculed, and become “nicer” when they stop doing so. (p. 133) These are the good guys.

The book introduces many occult concepts: telepathy, astral projection, e.s.p., familiars, inner guides, power objects, omens, astrology, death as a new adventure (vis: reincarnation), the zodiac, and love “power”...

It remains a mystery to me how any parent could conclude that the Harry Potter books are suitable reading material for their children, as young as eight years old. In one case, the answer has been reduced to “Just because the lifestyle doesn’t match mine, doesn’t mean you throw the book out.” Certainly that statement is true as it stands, but it is an over-simplification of the issue, and demonstrates either profound ignorance, or just plain deceit.

It isn’t just the problem of “good guys” who lie, steal, cheat, disobey, hate, swear, get drunk, gamble, seek vengeance, and consider killing their enemies; nor the frequent descriptions of disgusting things or behaviours; nor the total immersion of the reader in elements of witchcraft, including detailed spells, potions, charms and sym...